Pros and Cons for using sand

[lindamiller]

Does sand box sand really have harmful effects? is it really cleaned with glass...? I am so confused... I got construction sand yesterday from Lowes...Not the kind to set pavers. I like the play box sand the best but do not want to harm my girls if they eat it for grit. They liked it better than construction sand,

 

[Bondo Chicks]

I'm not trying to be a "smart guy" but would you please explain way you say pine shaving or straw is the WORST?

 

[DMRippy]

I'm not trying to be a "smart guy" but would you please explain way you say pine shaving or straw is the WORST?

It stinks when it gets wet it is water proof so water just sits on it. It does not compost quickly.....just nasty stuff. Don't use it anymore than I have to. I used to use it everywhere but now no more than I have to.

 

[Bondo Chicks]

Thanks. I'll have to stop using it.

 

[lindamiller]

I love the pine shavings in the covered part of the run..I sprinkle Garlic powder, basil and parsley and other herbs and turn it every day...Garlic powder keeps the flies away...

 

[rides2far]

Garlic powder is also used in horse feed to help keep the flies away. I guess it works from the inside out! When it was hot, I swear I could smell the garlic on my black gelding. I called him my Italian stallion

. Oops. Off topic. I use pine flakes in my coop (very little dust), and hay in my run. However, I live where it's really dry. Hay in a wet rainy climate would probably be a mess.

 

[birdman55]

i would like to throw this out there...

straw; will absorb the humidity leading to no good matter when it comes to the flock and needs to be changed like once a month...good solution is the carpet that looks like grass on an angle and a board you can put over the nest boxes at night so the birds wont poop in it...

chips vs shavings...chips are great for the yard for something for the birds to scratch around and thats about it....
shavings will absorb water and have plenty of bad side effects that you dont want...

sand...
fine sand is ok...if you are in the colder climates where it freezes then you will have water build up in your pens if you have a high water table...and trust me this is no fun to wait for the ground to unthaw....

that being said...i would use larger sand stone in mix with the smaller ones...and make sure you have some sort of drainage for the birds under ground....sand and larger sand would be the way to go....

been there and done all of it...that is the best solution...also keep in mind if you are doing alot of chickens in a small area of sand...the sand will turn to pretty much solid rock and wont be easy to turn...

 

[mairin49]

I am a newbie to the world of chickens. Wonder if you can help me. I have a walk in coop with a marine plywood floor and over that I use wood chips. Can I put coarse sand over the plywood replacing the wood chips? Also I read an article that confused me somewhat in regards to chickens in winter. The writer stated that a draft could kill chickens yet she leaves her windows and doors open in winter so what constitutes a draft?


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[longbournfarm]

Hey! Great question. I'm not sure there is an absolute wrong or right way, but I'll tell you what I do and what my experience has been.

I made an old stall into a coop and spread the bottom with straw. Under my roosting bars I built a tray with sand in it. This actually catches the majority of the poop from the chickens and the sand makes it super easy to clean. That way, I don't have to use so much sand but I get the benefit of easy clean up. If you can, implementing a similar system in your coop may be the best of both worlds.

One caution with having only sand is having it build up in your chickens digestive system if they are scavenging off the floor. Probably not a huge worry but something to be aware of. For more information and pictures, check out my blog post:

http://longbournfarm.com/2015/08/21/the-chicken-coop-project-complete/

I haven't read the article you are referring too, but I would imagine she keeps them open for ventilation. If your chickens have a dry place to get out of the rain and direct wind, they should be fine. I keep my doors open during the day and then close everything up at night to keep things a little warmer. The best way to tell how your chickens are doing is just by doing daily flock checks, looking for signs of stress or frostbite. The more you check the more you will know what you need to adjust.

Hope all this helps!
Alli
www.longbournfarm.com

 

[lynnehd]

I am a newbie to the world of chickens. Wonder if you can help me. I have a walk in coop with a marine plywood floor and over that I use wood chips. Can I put coarse sand over the plywood replacing the wood chips? Also I read an article that confused me somewhat in regards to chickens in winter. The writer stated that a draft could kill chickens yet she leaves her windows and doors open in winter so what constitutes a draft?


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Yes, with the marine plywood you can use any substrate that you want. So a coarse masonry or construction sand would be fine. I use Stall Dry on the floor of my raised coop, which is similar to sand, and it works very well.

You need lots of ventilation, but no wind or drafts directly on the chickens in cold, wet weather. So open soffits, rectangular windows with hardware mesh over them along the top walls of the coop are needed even in the winter.
During warmer months, all of the above plus windows that open on 2-3 sides for a cross breeze is fine.